TNT overrules Magnolia; 103-100
The TNT Tropang Giga did not let Magnolia get a chance to steal a win, 103-100, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup, on Wednesday night, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Calvin Oftana led the team to its first win, scoring 42 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the field, including nine three-pointers.
Aside from Oftana, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 41 points and 13 rebounds.
TNT coach Chot Reyes was also satisfied with the result of their match against Magnolia. He also said that the key to their win was their team effort and they focused on last night's match to get the victory.
"Our only focus for this game was effort. That was written on big letters on our board because I was very, very upset with the effort that we showed in the first two games. It's good to come out with a W but, you know... we don't want to win that way," coach Reyes said.
"Even before looking at the technical aspects of the game, not having Jayson (Castro) and Kelly (Williams) and Poy (Erram) as well in the first two games was a big blow for us. But still there's no excuse for not exerting our best effort," the 10-time champion mentor added.
"That was why I was very upset with the way we finished the game. We gave up eight points in the last 40 seconds and that goes against everything that we believed in and everything that we stand for as a team," added the multi-titled tactician.
Ricardo Ratliffe's 27 points were not enough to carry the Hotshots, while Calvin Abueva, Mark Barroca and Jerom Lastimosa each had 18 points each.
Meanwhile, on December 18, Wednesday, Magnolia will face coach Yeng Guiao's team at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while Tropang Giga will target another win against Blackwater Bossing on Thursday, December 19, at the same venue.
The scores:
TNT 103 – Oftana 42, Hollis-Jefferson 41, Pogoy 6, Erram 6, Heruela 4, Nambatac 4, Razon 0, Galinato 0, Khobuntin 0, Varilla 0, Aurin 0.
Magnolia 100 – Ratliffe 27, Barroca 18, Abueva 18, Lastimosa 18, Sangalang 9, Eriobu 5, Dionisio 3, Mendoza 2, Dela Rosa 0, Ahanmisi 0, Balanza 0.
Quarters: 33-25; 52-48; 83-75; 103-100.
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Following a stretch dominated by American stars, the MVP conversation shifted again in the late 2010s. Giannis Antetokounmpo earned his two titles in 2019 and 2020, and then Nikola Jokić launched his own historic run with three MVPs in four years. In between came Joel Embiid, who broke through in 2023 for Cameroon.
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In this Player Profile Series, we look back at the career of Benjie Paras—“The Tower of Power”—the only player in PBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Paras was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers in 1989 and made an immediate impact. With his strength, mobility, and basketball IQ, he brought a complete inside presence—shot-blocking, rebounding, mid-range shooting, and post scoring. Shell didn’t win a title that year, but Paras’ dominant rookie season stood out above the rest.
In 1990, Paras led Shell to its first PBA championship, defeating Anejo Rhum in six games in the Open Conference Finals—a series remembered for Anejo’s controversial Game 6 walkout. The following year, Shell and Ginebra met again in the Reinforced Conference Finals. Shell took a 3–1 series lead but couldn’t close it out. Ginebra forced a Game 7 and won it on Rudy Distrito’s buzzer-beater.
Paras bounced back in 1992, helping Shell win another title—this time over San Miguel. But the team struggled with consistency after that. In 1993, Paras sat out one conference due to a contract dispute and requested a trade to Anejo, which didn’t materialize. He shifted focus to his acting career before returning to Shell. The team wouldn’t make another Finals appearance until the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, where they pushed Alaska to seven games but came up short. Paras was back in the MVP conversation that season.
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In the early 2000s, Paras battled injuries and eventually joined San Miguel in 2003. He retired at the end of that season, finishing his PBA career with 10,322 points in 574 games.
Paras also represented the Philippines in the 1990 Asian Games, where the national team brought home a silver medal after falling to China in the final.
In 2013, he returned to basketball as an assistant coach for the San Beda Red Lions and played in the PBA Legends Asia Tour the following year.
After his playing days, Paras transitioned into showbiz. He appeared in a range of TV dramas, sitcoms, and fantasy series, and also hosted game shows. Known for his versatility, Paras became a familiar face both on screen and on stage.
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